Posts by: Gene Ostrovsky

Hygieia’s DIGS Automatic Insulin Titration Device Shows Promise; Company Talks to Medgadget

by Gene Ostrovsky on May 18, 2012

An experimental new device called Diabetes Insulin Guidance System (DIGS) from Hygieia, Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI) is being developed to automate insulin dosage titration in patients with type I and type II diabetes, based on measurements of blood glucose and analysis of patterns in the obtained data. The company hopes one day to provide patients with an automatically calculated insulin dosage adjustments between doctor visits, in hopes of improving their glycemic control.

The company’s clinical advisory board is packed with diabetes experts such as Martin Abrahamson, MD from Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, so they obviously know what they are doing. And the latest data seems to confirm that. A recent publication in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics is quite positive for the technology, as it demonstrated DIGS’ potential to improve blood glucose control for insulin-using patients with type 2 or type 1 diabetes. Over the 12-week intervention period of the study, investigators observed:

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EchoBlog Joins EchoJournal

by Gene Ostrovsky on May 16, 2012

A community of physicians who are actively involved with our video sharing site EchoJournal now has a collaborative blog where they’re discussing the latest echocardiography videos, clinical concepts and ideas. EchoBlog can be accessed from the EchoJournal website, or directly by going to EchoBlog.com.

If you are a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, radiologist, medical student, or just a person interested in cardiac ultrasounds, EchoJournal is where you can develop your knowledge and consult with others. To learn and discuss, you can watch new cardiac videos that are added almost every day, or you can browse through our video archives. To store or share, you can upload your own clips. The site has a growing membership base, and solid traffic stats. EchoJournal is curated by David E. Winchester, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Florida.

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The Latest from EchoJournal

by Gene Ostrovsky on Mar 20, 2012

We are very proud of EchoJournal, our echocardiography video website. If you are a cardiologist, anesthesiologist, radiologist, medical student, or just a person interested in cardiac ultrasounds, EchoJournal is the place for you. To learn and discuss, you can check new cardiac videos that are added almost every day, or you can browse through our video archives. To store or share, you can upload your own clips. The site has a growing membership base, and solid traffic stats. EchoJournal is curated by David E. Winchester, MD, a cardiologist at the University of Florida.

EchoJournal is offering many user choices: keep videos private for storage or post them for discussions, embed videos on your own page, organize groups, channels, and more.

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European Society to Publish Colon Capsule Endoscopy Guidelines

by Gene Ostrovsky on Mar 15, 2012

The European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) in the upcoming May issue of Endoscopy, the official journal of the ESGE, is preparing to publish a set of guidelines on clinical utility and selection process of patients for colon capsule endoscopy. These guidelines will have a direct effect on applicability and maybe wider use of PillCam COLON 2, a product of Israel-based Given Imaging. It should be noted that PillCam COLON 2 has been approved by the European regulators, but was rejected by the FDA in the United States in 2008 on the grounds of “not substantially equivalent”.

Homi Shamir, president and CEO of Given Imaging, released the following statement about upcoming guidelines:

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Q&A: How Central Logic & HP Can Help Hospitals Improve Patient Flow

by Gene Ostrovsky on Mar 13, 2012

Last month HP announced that Central Logic Core, a web-based bed management system developed by Utah-based company Central Logic, Inc., will be integrated and sold exclusively with HP hardware, including HP Z Workstations and HP touchscreen monitors, to help hospitals “optimize patient care by providing real-time end-to-end patient flow information.” Medgadget had a chance to ask Central Logic’s senior product manager Matt Meservey a few questions about the system and the new partnership:

Medgadget: Can you tell us how hospitals might benefit from HP Z600 Workstations integrated with Central Logic Core web-based patient management system?

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A Mastermind Keynote with Clayton Christensen

by Gene Ostrovsky on Nov 21, 2011

Clayton M. Christensen is a professor at Harvard Business School and a celebrated author of multiple books, including the famous 1997 book The Innovator’s Dilemma. Christensen is an expert on technology and business innovation. For years, he and his research group studied what happens to startups and by what mechanisms new companies with disruptive technologies displace entrenched business interests, be it powerful megacorps or market leaders that survived decades of unopposed business growth.

So if you are working on a startup, or consider doing one, check out a talk given by Christensen at Gartner Symposium ITExpo 2011 on October 19, 2011. Midway through his presentation, he briefly touches on health care, and where the innovation and growth in clinical areas will come from.

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Innate and Adaptive Immunology Pioneers Win The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011

by Gene Ostrovsky on Oct 3, 2011

Earlier this morning, The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet has announced that this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be shared with one half jointly by American Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffman from France and the other half by Canadian born Ralph M. Steinman from Rockefeller University in New York for their seminal discoveries in immunology. Unfortunately, Dr. Steinman, who discovered the dendritic cell, did not live to know about the prize, as he passed away just days before the announcement. Drs. Hoffmann and Beutler are well known for their research in innate immunity.

The following scientific intro, distributed by the Nobel Committee, is an interesting and important read into the history of discoveries of innate and adaptive immunology:

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To Fill a Void, AT Medical Introduces Fecotainer

by Gene Ostrovsky on Sep 28, 2011

Featuring the latest in European engineering, FECOTAINER is a newly unveiled device from Amsterdam-based AT MEDICAL B.V.. The device is designed to make stool collection an easy, no mess, no fuss experience you can be proud of. After performing No.2, the patient can seal the system with a stopper and lid, and then send the precious cargo hygienically to a lab.

Made from recyclable plastic and the accompanying biodegradable plastic delivery bag, the device, by its very nature, will contribute to the cycle of elements from its final destination, the waste dump.

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Announcing Guess-a-Nobel 2011

by Gene Ostrovsky on Sep 27, 2011

Six days from today, the Nobel committee will begin announcing this year’s prize winners, starting with Physiology or Medicine on Monday, Physics on Tuesday, and Chemistry on Wednesday. Although a spectator sport, we try to turn these prizes into a competition anyone can participate in by guessing this year’s winners. Simply leave a comment at DocThink, our new site for clinicians to ask and answer medical questions, with the names of those you think should win for each category and you can win an Apple TV. If you manage to guess all three, we’ll get you a brand spanking new iPad 2.

Rules of the game:

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